State of It
by Sam Pout
Embedded Files
Published: 19 Oct 2021
An extract of State of It was first performed at The Vaults Theatre, London on the 13th December 2020, directed by David Frias-Robles with Daniel Solbe as Billy and Risha Silvera as Andi. A similar extract was then performed at Omnibus Theatre, London on the 18th October 2021, directed by Sam Pout with Aaron Barrow as Billy and Maddy Carter as Andi.
State of It at Omnibus Theatre, London
As part of Engine Room
Billy tries to escape his dark reputation whilst Andi attempts to leave her jealous actions in the past, both too afraid to not let guilt define them as how else could they possibly accept themselves.
Punchy and tragically honest, Sam Pout’s State of It asks who’s perception of the world do we take for truth and what does it take for us to question our omnipotent destiny and swim against the tide into a dawning afterlife.
Aaron Barrow
Rehearsing at Omnibus Theatre
Maddy Carter
State of It at The Vaults Theatre, London
Hosted by Myriad Immersive and Pathway Theatre
Andi and Billy stumble across each other in a small north-London club. After various attempts to start a conversation, they eventually accept the company of each other, expressing an enviable friendship despite only just meeting. After becoming honest and completely vulnerable to each other, they eventually acknowledge their shared guilt and anger towards the world they live in.
In a world of madness and confusion, how can we endeavour to find the truth? How do we know what we see before us is reality for someone else?
Perhaps it starts with us, being honest with ourselves might be the only option in paving the way to escape the state of the world.
Scratch That Itch
In October, I came across an opportunity at The Vaults Theatre London, a night of new writing hosted by Myriad Immersive and Pathway Theatre. This was an opportunity I desperately wanted to be a part of as it was a special occasion during a time when the theatre industry is struggling, as well as the fact that I had never been a part of a professional event like this before.
My short scene was accepted and David Frias-Robles took on the task of directing it. It was really exciting to meet a professional director working in London and be able to talk to him about my writing and how he was planning to stage it. Scratch That Itch was staged during December, just after the November lockdown so it was able to go ahead; it was a very well organised event in terms of Covid-19 safety with the audience being socially distanced and the casts for each scene forming their own working bubbles. It was fantastic to see live theatre and revel in the feeling of being a part of an audience once more!
David Frias-Robles
Director
Risha Silvera
Andi
Daniel Solbe
Billy
My own thoughts of State of It
David Frias-Robles, Director
Frias-Robles captured the essence of the piece by creating a tangible familiarity between Andi and Billy. He brought to life the ambiguity of good and bad which surrounds the characters, suggesting the complexity of morality within the world we live in today. Within the small amount of time, Frias-Robles journeys the audience through the characters' first interaction; moments of humour with an air of nostlagia, often followed by the lingering tension from the characters' pasts. Overall, the all too enviable event of making a unique connection within a social environment is what we all miss. Frias-Robles engages in a nostalgia of our own, leaving us with the desire to regain what we once took for granted, in the hope that we too may meet a mysterious stranger who we learn to be just like us.
Risha Silvera, as Andi
A light within the midnight darkness, Silvera succeeds in evoking the text's morality. Silvera perfectly embodies Andi's honest nature; the life and soul but equally willing to accept the faults she carries which prove to be a silent burden. Silvera's refreshing lightheartedness gives a glimmer of hope within the reality of the confused world we all share now.
Daniel Solbe, as Billy
We learn Billy has done the worst, and as Andi says we should run from him as fast as we can. But somehow, Solbe offers a deeply likeable and grounded character, firmly rooted in the pursuit to make an honest man of himself. Solbe is that guy in the bar you want to meet, his subtle confidence but charming vulnerability in accepting his wrongdoings encourage us to applaud the character's endeavour for redemption.
I would like to thank David Frias-Robles, Risha Silvera and Daniel Solbe for brining life to my writing, it's such a pleasure to see proffesional artists develop your work and make it better! Also, thank you to Myriad Immersive, Pathway Theatre and The Vaults for producing such a special event, it was an amazing opportunity to be a part of and an experience I won't forget.
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